Footwear-lacing means



May 20 1924. 1,494,902 J. w. GORHAM FOOTWEAR LACING MEANS Filed arch 20 1922 MENTOR. JOHN M! Gb/P/M/W.

Patented May 20, 1924.

UNITED STATES JOHN W. GORHAM, ESQONDIDO, CALIFORNIA.

; :FOOTWEARY-IQACINGI Means.

application filed March 20, 1922; Scrial liol 545,038.

-10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. GO HAM,

a citizen of the United States, residingat Escondido, in the county of San Diegoand 5 State of California, have invented acertain new and useful Footwear-Lacing Means,'of

which the following is a specification.

-My invention relates to footwear lacing means and the objects of my inventionar'e: first, to provide-a means ofthis class in which the lace supports are so positioned that a minimum of frictionjis producediin drawing the lace through said supports; second, to provide a melans of this class in 5 which it is not necessary to pull the ends of *tlie lace through or out of thefeyes or hooks of the footwear in order to put said footwear on or take it off; third, to provide a means of this classwhich reduces to a minimum the length of time required for the lacing of footwear; fourth, to provide a means of this class which renders the shoe flexible and therefore will provide perfect accommodation to the shape and movements 5' ofthe foot; fifth, to provide a means of this class in which the eyes and hooks can be readily replaced in a shoe in case of wear or breakage; sixth,'to provide a lace which can not readily be pulled out of the eyes;

seventh to provide a footwear lacing means which is nove-lly constructed, and eighth, to provide a means of this class which is simpie and economical of construction, durable, applicable to all footwear and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts rand portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon which form 5 a part of this application in which:

D per near and at one frontedge thereof partly in section to facilitate the illustration of the eyes secured therein at the front edge thereof; Fig. 3 is a sectional view through 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is another 5 fragmentary portion of a shoe upper near the top side'and at one' 'front edge thereof partly in section to facilitate the illustration of the hook secured therein at the front edge thereofyand Fig. 5 is a'sectional' view taken through"5"5 of Fig, 4,1, v

Like'characters of reference refer tosimilar parts andportionsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

The shoe'upper 1,"eye-j2, hook 3 and the lace 4 constiti'ite the principalPa-rts and portions of my lacing, means. v i

' The shoe upper'l' is provided at the front open edges 1 with turned under portions 1 and stitching 5securing the same in such position. Said shoe upper is: further provided -at the front open edges with perfora tions 1 adapted to receive th'erethrough'the eye'and hoo-k'portions 2* and 3 of the eye and hook members 2 and 3 respectively. Said eye members 2 are preferably made with slightly flattened eye portions 2* as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings and are further provided with outwardly extended portions 2* at either end of said eye portions adapted to retain said eye members in the holes 1 provided for the same at the edges of the shoe upper. Said eye members are prevented from slipping or being forced inwardly by the stitching 5 securing said turned under portion 1 to the shoe upper proper. The hook members 3 are similarly provided with hook portions 3* and extended portions 3* on either side of said hook portion adapted to secure said hook members in similar holes provided for the same at the front edges of the shoe upper. Said hook members are further provided at the ends of said extended portions with projected portions 3 secured at right angles thereto and extending inwardly therefrom adapted to prevent said hook member from turning in said shoe upper. The laces 4 may be made of any flexible material desired and of any desired cross section but are provided at their ends with loops 4 or other means so that they may be readily introduced or pulled through the eyes 2 but cannot readily be pulled out or back through said eyes. i

It will be here noted that the eyes are so shaped and positioned that the lace in passing through said eyes is always parallel with the edge of the shoe upper and not crosswise as is the conventional eyelet, thus reducing the friction to a minimum. and

that the eyes and hooks extend forward of the' dges of the shoe upper so that the laces, when. drawn, are nearly parallel;

It will be noted that my lacing means may be composed of eye members extending the full length of the front edge of the shoe upper as described and shown or may consist of hook members 3 extending the full length thereof or may consist of a, combination of eye members at one portion of the front edges of the shoe upper and hook members at the other portions thereof.

1 Although I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions I do not ish to. be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims:

Having thus. described my invention what I claim. as new and desire to secure, by Letters Patent is: t

1. In a means of the class described, a footwear upper provided. with overturned front edges with perforations in the edges thereof, lace retaining members providedwith lace retaining. portions, and extended portions substantially at right angles with the axes of said lace retaining portions, secured in said; footwear upperf at the front edges thereof, said lace retaining members being also provided with other inwardly extending portions? at right angles with said other extended portions for preventing said lace retaining members from turning, the lace retaining portions of said members protruding through said perforations.

2. A means of the class described, including a, footwear upper provided with overturned front edges with perforations in. the edges thereof, hook members provided with hook portions and extended portions sub? stantially at right angles with said hook portions, secured insaidfootwear upper at the frontedgesithereof, the hook portions. or said hook members protruding through said perforations, the extended portions of said hook members being provided at their ends with other inwardly extending portions substantiallyat' right angles with said first mentioned extended portions. v I

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set, my hand at San Diego, California tl is 3 10th day of March .22- s Jenn W. eoRnAM. 

